American Idol is the wet dream of every network executive. With the amount of people watching 20^th Century Fox could air paint drying and still get huge ratings. When you have over thirty million people glued to their television a good portion will stick around to watch whatever is next as long as you plug it a bunch and it looks at least somewhat entertaining.

That’s how House found a bigger audience, it aired with Idol. And I’m not saying House is a bad show, actually it’s quite good, but it just illustrates how a very successful show can help another to find an audience.

This spring Fox is premiering a bunch of new shows and they are obviously hoping that Idol can help them break out and find an audience. The way they can do it is by airing the show after Idol and also plugging the hell out of it during the broadcast. But clearly the one they really believe in is The Wedding Bells, as they are airing a preview after Idol on Wednesday night, March 7^th.

And for all of you Family Guy fans, Seth McFarlane has a live action comedy show coming this spring called The Winner. It’s about a thirty-two year old who still lives at home and begins to come out of his shell when the only girl he ever kissed moves back to town.

If you want to know more about what Fox is doing or more info about any of their new shows, here is the press release they just sent out. 

 

ANNOUNCES SPRING PREMIERES THREE NEW SCRIPTED SHOWS DEBUT

THE WEDDING BELLS Premieres Friday, March 9,

With Sneak Preview Wednesday, March 7, After AMERICAN IDOL

New Comedy THE WINNER Debuts with Two Episodes on Sunday, March 4;

Series Airs on Three Consecutive Sundays at 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM

Action Drama DRIVE Launches with 2-Night, 3-Hour Premiere

Sunday, April 15, and Monday, April 16

‘TIL DEATH Moves to Wednesdays at 9:30, Following AMERICAN IDOL;

After Special Post-IDOL Airings on Feb. 27 and 28,

Time Period Premiere is Wednesday, March 14

New dramas THE WEDDING BELLS and DRIVE and new comedy THE WINNER will join FOX’s spring schedule, which also features new time periods for comedies ‘TIL DEATH and THE WAR AT HOME and the drama STANDOFF.

THE WEDDING BELLS, a romantic dramedy from executive producers David E. Kelley, Jason Katims and Jonathan Pontell, premieres in its regular time period Friday, March 9 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. A special preview airs Wednesday, March 7 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) after AMERICAN IDOL.

THE WEDDING BELLS centers on a family-owned wedding planning business dedicated to helping its clients live happily ever after … or at least until they get to the parking lot. Sisters Annie (KaDee Strickland), Jane (Teri Polo) and Sammy Bell (Sarah Jones) inherited The Wedding Palace after their parents’ divorce. Now they must navigate the endless complications of planning elaborate weddings while trying to figure out where they stand in their own complicated love lives.

Seth MacFarlane, creator of the FOX animated hits FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD, brings his first live-action comedy to the network this spring. THE WINNER will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, March 4 (8:30-9:00 PM and 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) and will air at those times for the following two Sundays, March 11 and March 18. (On Sunday, March 25, KING OF THE HILL and AMERICAN DAD will return in their respective regular time periods.)

THE WINNER is a coming-of-age comedy about Glen Abbott (“The Daily Show’s” Rob Corddry), a 32-year-old still living a sheltered life with his parents when the only girl he’d ever kissed returns to town with her 13-year-old son. The recently divorced Alison (Erinn Hayes) inspires Glen to become a “grown-up” and win her heart. Glen moves through his formative years a mere 20 years later than most, en route to becoming the richest man in Buffalo – and giving hope to late-bloomers everywhere.

The new action drama DRIVE, created by Tim Minear and Ben Queen, takes viewers for a wild ride when a diverse group of people, all with different motives and secrets, participate in an underground cross-country road race. DRIVE revs up the schedule with a two-hour series premiere Sunday, April 15 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and time period premiere Monday, April 16 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Freshman comedy ‘TIL DEATH moves to Wednesdays in March. The show – which takes a humorous look at married life from the vastly differing perspectives of a long-married couple, played by Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher, and their newlywed neighbors, played by Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster – will have its last Thursday airing on Feb. 15. ‘TIL DEATH will then follow AMERICAN IDOL on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 27 and 28, before making its time period premiere Wednesday, March 14 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).

THE WAR AT HOME, a comedy about a husband and wife (played by Michael Rapaport and Anita Barone) who constantly battle with their three teenage kids to keep them in line, is moving to Sundays at 7:30. The show premieres in its new time period Sunday, March 4 (7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

STANDOFF premieres in its new time period Friday, March 30 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The action drama centers on Matt Flannery (Ron Livingston) and Emily Lehman (Rosemarie DeWitt), top-ranked negotiators in the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit who are romantically and professionally involved.

FOX SPRING PREMIERES RECAP (All Times ET/PT)

Sunday, March 4:

THE WAR AT HOME Time Period Premiere (7:30-8:00 PM)

THE WINNER Series Premiere (8:30-9:00 PM)

THE WINNER Series Premiere (9:30-10:00 PM)    

Wednesday, March 7:

THE WEDDING BELLS Preview (9:00-10:00 PM)  

Friday, March 9:

THE WEDDING BELLS Series Premiere (9:00-10:00 PM)

Wednesday, March 14:

‘TIL DEATH Time Period Premiere (9:30-10:00 PM)         

Friday, March 30:

STANDOFF Time Period Premiere (8:00-9:00 PM)

Sunday, April 15:

DRIVE Series Premiere (8:00-10:00 PM)

Monday, April 16:

DRIVE Time Period Premiere (8:00-9:00 PM)                 

FOX SPRING SCHEDULE

(Effective Sunday, March 4; All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY

8:00-9:00 PM           PRISON BREAK/DRIVE (Premieres 4/16)

9:00-10:00 PM         24

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM           AMERICAN IDOL

9:00-10:00 PM         HOUSE

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM           BONES

9:00-9:30 PM           AMERICAN IDOL

9:30-10:00 PM         ‘TIL DEATH

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM           TBA

9:00-10:00 PM         TBA

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM           STANDOFF (Premieres 3/30)

9:00-10:00 PM         THE WEDDING BELLS

SATURDAY

8:00-8:30 PM           COPS

8:30-9:00 PM           COPS

9:00-10:00 PM         AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK

11:00 PM-Midnight    MADtv

Midnight-12:30 AM    TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN

SUNDAY

7:00-7:30 PM           COMEDY REPEATS

7:30-8:00 PM           THE WAR AT HOME

8:00-8:30 PM           THE SIMPSONS

8:30-9:00 PM           THE WINNER/KING OF THE HILL (Returns 3/25)

9:00-9:30 PM           FAMILY GUY

9:30-10:00 PM         THE WINNER/AMERICAN DAD (Returns 3/25)